This is our best look yet at the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S20 series, thanks to a series of leaked images. That’s right, the successor to the Galaxy S10 series will not be called the S11. On top of that, we’ve got several interesting details of the Galaxy S20 too.
For one, alleged images of the Galaxy S20 pretty much confirm previous renders of the new smartphone. Just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 devices, the upcoming S20+ will sport the Korean company’s Infinity-O Display – the hole-punch cutout for the camera is placed at the top of the screen right in the middle.
While it’s a little hard to gauge from the leaked image, it seems like the circular cutout on the alleged Galaxy S20+ is a little smaller compared to the Galaxy Note 10+. Looking at the overall design of the phone, the S20+ does look sleeker than the latter, thanks to its more rounded corners. Did we mention it’s said to be a 120Hz screen too?
It’s also worth noting that the Galaxy S20+’s display appears to be quite different than the dual curved screen of its predecessor. According to XDA’s source, the display “felt flat,” so it’s possible Samsung is doing away with the curved screen. At least, that seems to be the case for the S20+ – things could be different for the other devices in the series.
But the Galaxy S20+ not having a dual curved display could be a good thing. Ergonomically, a flat display makes a lot more sense, and users won’t have to worry about palm rejection with such a display. However, for better or worse, it appears the glass back panel of the S20+ still has sharp curves at either sides.
On the back of the phone, as expected, is the square camera module housing four separate lenses. The camera configuration for the Galaxy S20+ is rumoured to include a regular shooter, an ultra-wide angle sensor, a telephoto lens, and a macro camera. The rumoured macro sensor is quite interesting, given that previous Samsung flagships had a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor instead for better depth perception.
There’s also a rumour going around that concerns the primary camera sensor of the upcoming smartphone. Apparently, both the Galaxy S20 and S20+ would feature a new 12MP 1.8μm sensor, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra is said to come with a different main shooter. For the sake of comparison, previous Samsung flagships only had a 1.4μm camera sensor.
Basically, that’s a measurement of the sensor’s pixel size: the bigger it is, the more light it can collect, which should translate to better camera performance. This will be especially useful when shooting in low light environments.
Another thing to note is the button arrangement of the Galaxy S20+. Just like how it was with the Galaxy Note 10 smartphones, the dreaded Bixby dedicated button is no longer present. Instead, both the power button and volume rocker are now located on the right side of the S20+. It’s quite an interesting design change, given that these two buttons were placed on different sides of the phone for the longest time.
Of course, we cannot ignore the splash screen of the Galaxy S20+, showing that it will indeed come with 5G connectivity. In fact, all of the devices in the Galaxy S20 series are said to support 5G networks. These include the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the top-of-the-range Galaxy S20 Ultra. Samsung is going all in with 5G here.
But what about markets that still don’t have 5G coverage? Will Samsung release 4G-only versions of the Galaxy S20 smartphones? As a matter of fact, it will; at least, that’s what XDA is saying. Both the Galaxy S20 and S20+ will have 4G-only variants, but that’s not the case for the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That particular model will supposedly come in a sole 5G model.
Besides that, well-known leaker Ice Universe also gave more details on the Galaxy S20 smartphones. Supposedly, all three devices in the series will come with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It’s an interesting decision on Samsung’s part, given that this will definitely make each of the device costlier than usual.
Of course, that’s assuming this bit of information is accurate, though Ice Universe has a solid track record of being on the mark.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 series is expected to be launched on 11 February at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event next month. Of course, the Galaxy Fold 2 – which is now expected to be called the Galaxy Z Flip – will likely make an appearance there too.
Evidently, Samsung is starting 2020 on a strong note. With the (possible) introduction of four flagship-tier devices next month, it’s a big launch for the phone maker.